Taking a short breathing break helps calm the nervous system, lowering stress hormones like cortisol while improving oxygen flow to the brain.
This shift supports clearer thinking, steadier emotions, and better decision making in just a couple of minutes.
STEP 1. Find a quieter space or look out of a window
Benefit: Reducing sensory input helps the brain shift out of alert mode and into calm focus.
✅ How to:Move to a quieter spot if you can, or simply rest your gaze on the sky, trees, or light outside.
STEP 2. Take eight breaths and slow the exhale
Benefit: A fixed number of breaths reduces mental effort because you don’t need to time anything, while longer exhales activate the body’s calming response and help stress levels drop.
✅ How to:Breathe in gently through your nose and out slowly through your mouth, counting eight relaxed breaths and letting each exhale last a little longer than the inhale.
STEP 3. Breathe low into the body
Benefit: Lower breathing signals safety to the brain and eases tension in the chest and shoulders.
✅ How to: Imagine each inhale flowing into the bottom of your tummy, allowing it to rise slightly, then gently soften as you breathe out.
The first thing we do when we’re born is take a breath, and the last thing we do when we die is take a breath. Our breathing influences us more than we realise.
